Once I caught my breath, I got up and went to the bathroom to dispose of my condom. There was some blood on it, so I wet a washcloth and went back and gently used it to clean Zoe up. She grabbed me and pulled me into bed with her. I settled down next to her and did what any male does when he’s sated: I fell asleep.
◊◊◊
I woke to giggles and whispers in the living room. I got out of bed and put on my boxers. I checked my phone and saw it was almost midnight. I needed to get Zoe home. I got dressed and walked into the living room where Brook, Halle, and Gina were talking to Zoe. These were just the girls I suspected had helped her plan tonight.
They all turned and smiled at me, telling me Zoe was pleased with what had happened tonight.
“We need to get going before your dad sends out a search party,” I said.
Zoe looked at the clock and scurried into the bedroom to put her dress on. She had been in a robe I assumed Brook had given her. I was pretty sure her parents wouldn’t approve of me taking her home in that. I walked up to Brook and took her hand so she would stand.
“Thank you for making tonight special for her,” I said, and I kissed her.
I went to Halle and did the same. Zoe came out as I was kissing Gina.
“Tell your sister thanks for the dress,” I said.
Gina giggled when she realized I’d figured it out. I let her go, and Zoe flowed into my arms for another kiss. If we’d had time, I would have pulled her back into bed. We hurried to my car so we could get her home. I was amazed at the change in her. Zoe chatted with me with me the whole way home like a silly schoolgirl. When we pulled up to her house, she giggled and kissed me, then jumped out of the car and ran for the house. Her mother met her at the door.
As I drove home, the evening’s events replayed in my head. I realized that Zoe had found my heart. I think I was starting to fall for her. I cautioned myself that I didn’t want to quickly fall in love with her like I had so many other girls in the past. I wanted the next girl I fell in love with to be the real thing.
When I got home, the light was on in the kitchen. I walked in and found my mom waiting for me.
“Call Grandma Dawson in the morning. She has Cubs tickets for you.”
I stood in stunned silence. Could this day get any better?
◊◊◊
Chapter 21 – Beloved Cubbies Monday October 12
I loved being in school. Today was Columbus Day, just another excuse for us not to have to attend. Of course, my mom and dad went off to work. I’d called Grandma Dawson and found out that not only did she have tickets for the Cubs game, but the tickets were for the Budweiser Patio, located in the right-field bleachers. It was an all-inclusive food and beverage area on the right field line. The governor’s office had called her, and Grandma reserved three tickets for me. I said a silent prayer and thanked Grandpa Dawson because it was out of respect for him that they had called my grandma.
I thought about whom I should invite. Tami would want to go. She loved baseball. The other person who immediately came to mind was Brook. She had taken me to the game at Busch Stadium. I rethought Tami and decided to ask Tracy instead. Both girls said not yes, but ‘hell yes’ when I called and asked if they wanted to be my guest today. My grandma told me we should arrive two hours early and get into the Budweiser Patio. I planned to soak up every moment I could, so we planned accordingly for the six o’clock game.
◊◊◊
Mom called me just as I’d gotten comfortable in front of the TV to watch a Netflix show. I rarely got time to watch a movie, so it was a real treat.
“I found a PR firm to represent you. They have a questionnaire they need to have filled out before they’ll consider you as a client. I did most of it, but you need to finish it. Some of the questions are very personal, and I thought you had better answer them,” Mom warned me.
She emailed the file to me, and I opened it and began reading it. The company was IDC–Public Relations and my would-be agent was Frank Ingram, who was a partner. I assumed he was the ‘I’ in IDC. The file included a brief blurb about the firm. Their list of references included Rita James and several other well-known Hollywood A-listers. They also represented sports and political figures.
I read their list of services, and it certainly looked like they would be able to handle everything. Their corporate mission statement was full of the right buzzwords.
Established in 2000, IDC is a dynamic, rapidly growing public relations agency with deep digital capabilities that infuse our work in many specialty areas. We are excited by the changes taking place in our industry and feel that the future holds enormous opportunities for companies integrating digital strategies into their communications mix. We work every day to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations, and we thank each and every one of them for placing their trust in IDC.
I perused their fee schedule, and they weren’t cheap. Standard services were bad enough, but I about choked when I read what they charged for a scandal. Of course, that was just a jumping-off point. I made a vow to keep my butt out of trouble.
I then opened the questionnaire and was glad my mom had started it. It looked like either Tom or Kendal had helped her with all my business connections and past jobs. There was also a section about sports and extracurricular activities, including hobbies. I was shocked when they wanted me to list all my past and current relationships. They also wanted all my social media, picture, and video logins and passwords. Finally, Mom had to sign a release for them to check my criminal and credit records. They would know me better than my own parents would when they finished. I was happy to see that the file also included a confidentiality document they and my mom had signed to protect me. I spent the rest of my morning filling in the blanks on the form.
I made a point to email it directly to Mr. Ingram. I didn’t want my mom to know some of the adventures I’d been up to such as motocross and skydiving. I especially didn’t need to give her a list of my past girlfriends!
◊◊◊
On the ride up to Chicago, we decided to stop at a truck stop to get something to eat for lunch. I had taken the Charger, and we were making good time. After the server had taken our order, the two girls cornered me.
“How many girls are you stringing along right now?” Tracy asked.
Of course, I played dumb.
“What do you mean? When have I ever strung someone along?” I asked.
“By my count, you’re seeing at least four of us. When are you going to pick one?” Brook asked.
I looked up at the ceiling and counted to ten before answering. I looked Tracy in the eye because she had known me the longest and we had a history.
“Where’s this coming from? Seriously, when have I ever not been up-front with the girls I date?”
“We’ve been talking …” Tracy started.
I raised my hand to stop her. In middle school and before, Tami had told me what to do. During my freshman year, I had let Suzanne, Cindy, Tracy, and Beth run my love life. Sophomore year Peggy had strung me along with the whole “let’s date” routine and then slept with Mitch. My life had been a serial rotation of the girls in my life telling me what to do. That was no longer going to happen.
“While I appreciate everyone talking about me, I will not be told what to do.”
“That’s not what we were going to do,” Tracy said.
“Bullshit, it was exactly what you were going to do. You and your little cronies all got together and decided it was time for David to settle down and date someone. What makes you think I don’t like being a free agent? Hell, in six weeks I’ll be in LA for nearly two months. Why the hurry?” I asked.